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As harm reduction programs spread across Canada, offering clean needles to people who use drugs, some residents want local governments to step up efforts cleaning public areas where discarded syringes are becoming a safety concern.
Volunteers in several cities have started picking up drug stuff like needles from parks, laneways, and under bridges. That’s usually where these items turn up, and some folks think needle exchange programs might be making the problem worse.
But health experts say those programs actually help solve the issue.
In Moncton, N. B., and Brantford, Ont., volunteers have been out with gloves and trash bags collecting discarded drug gear.
In Cambridge, Ont., some locals recently used social media to share pictures of needles found around their neighborhoods trying to raise awareness about what they see as a growing problem.
“We wanted to know where they were, what was going on,” said Mary Jane Sherman, co-founder of the Facebook group A Cleaner Cambridge.
“Volunteers started coming forward to do cleanups. Everyone was just so angry about it.. This is not a safe environment for our kids to grow up in.”
Sixty volunteers with A Clean Cambridge went out on Oct. 29 to help with the group’s second community clean up. Members of the group say they have picked up hundreds of needles in Cambridge, Ont., since organizing the first cleanup in October. Some of the Facebook group members express anger over the discarded needles and place blame on a local homeless shelter. (A Clean Cambridge/ Facebook)
Part of the solution
Sherman mentioned that local harm reduction programs play a role in syringes showing up in public spots.
But health experts – like Carol Strike, professor at University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health – argue these programs are part of fixing the needle litter problem.
“I’d be concerned if I found a needle in my community, and if I didn’t know a lot about the programs I might make assumptions about where the needle came from and how many there are,” Strike said.
“(But) the programs that I’ve worked with across the country.. don’t want needles in the community either. That’s why they exist, not only to give out needles, but to dispose of them properly.”
The amount of used needles found can go up or down at times but usually harm reduction teams respond by doing clean-up “sweeps” and boosting syringe collection efforts, Strike added.
“Over time, some programs actually collect more needles than they give out,” she explained.
Ray, and his daughter Megan Kelly is a volunteer with Needle Dogs Moncton, a group that scours parks, trails and streets with their dogs, looking for drug paraphrenalia, like needles and crack pipes. (Catherine Dmas/Radio Canada)
Return rate is high
In Moncton where Needle Dogs have been hunting stray syringes for ten years now – harm reduction workers say most used needles get returned properly.
AIDS Moncton hands out almost 200,000 needles yearly to over 600 people according to executive director Debby Warren.
Each month between 75% and 90% come back safely she added.
“We give them containers (to put needles in) and they bring them back,” she said. “We also have a drop-off box that’s open all day every day.”
The Vancouver Coastal Health agency serves nearly one-quarter of British Columbia’s population providing needle exchanges and safe injection sites for people who inject drugs.
To keep used sharps off streets Vancouver Coastal Health runs mobile exchange units plus has a hotline for reporting found syringes.
They also maintain over 40 disposal boxes around city parks & laneways along with funding regular “community sweeps” spokesman Gavin Wilson told us.
Discarded syringes spotted at Hinge Park near Olympic Village Vancouver last August (Tanya Fletcher/CBC)
Dropped HIV rates
The rise in harm reduction practices means more discarded syringes pop up mostly alleys Downtown Eastside but since mid-2000s distribution has helped cut HIV cases dramatically among B. C.’s injection users Wilson explained.
“While we get why people feel frustrated seeing discarded sharps around town risk remains really low,” he said.
No known case exists where anyone got HIV or other infections from prick injuries caused by thrown away syringes anywhere publicly here.”
In response groups like Sherman’s concerns Cambridge city boosted its syringe pickup services inviting reports from public/private property anywhere locally.
“No matter where we find these things residents can call us directly for help,” said Susanne Hiller Cambridge’s director corporate communications.
Even roads or lanes not officially under city care will still get cleaned quickly as much as possible.”
The mayor set up an opioid task force while regional health authorities work toward new safe injection sites Hiller added.
